The continent of North America encompasses 9,351,970 square miles.
Its highest point is Mt. McKinley in Alaska, USA, at 20,320 feet above
sea level. Its lowest point is Death Valley in California, USA, at
282 feet below sea level. North America's approximate population in
2002 was 494,394,000. North America includes Canada, the United
States of America, Mexico, Greenland, the Caribbean islands, and the
countries of Central America. North America is bounded on the east
by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, on the north by
the Arctic Ocean, and on the south by South America. The longest
river in North America is the Mississippi and Missouri, which runs
through the USA for a length of 3,741 miles. North America's
largest lake is Lake Superior (31,820 square miles) which sits astride
the border between Canada and the United States.
The United States is primarily an English-speaking country while Canada is
officially English and French bilingual. Mexico and Central America
are inhabited primarily by Spanish-speakers.
North America is the third largest continent and features the Coastal
Range and Rocky Mountains running down the west coast from Alaska in the
Arctic north to Central America in the Equatorial south. The
continent also includes the fairly flat Canadian Shield, the Great Plains
of the central interior, the Appalachian Mountains in eastern USA, and the
coastal plain running from New Jersey down the Atlantic coast and along
the Gulf of Mexico. Three of its five Great Lakes are among the five
largest lakes in the world.
The largest city in North America is Mexico City; other leading cities
include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto.
North America is served by an extensive network of international and
domestic airlines as well as a well-maintained highway network. The
Pan American Highway was designed to provide road access between North
and South America, but this highway has not yet been completed through
southeastern Panama. The unfinished portion of the road is known as
the Darien Gap. Good online sources of North American news include
CNN, The New York Times, and BBC's
US and Canada News.
North America History and Antique North America Map
This North America history page provides an overview of North American
history and culture from ancient times to modern times.
This vintage map of North America shows the continent of North America
as it appeared in a 19th century atlas.